HOUSTON — Jeremy Lin's magical, memorable run last year led to more attention and money than anyone could have imagined, and may have caused some resentment with his old Knicks teammates. Even some who didn't play with him have grown tired of hearing about Lin.

Raymond Felton, who replaced Lin after the Knicks opted not to match the Rockets' three-year, $25.1 million offer, thinks it's ridiculous to compare the two of them. But that point guard matchup will be front and center Friday night when the Knicks play the Rockets.

"I've been in this league eight years," Felton said. "He's been in this league half of a year, coming into a year now. I definitely can't see how nobody can compare me and him together. I've been in this league way longer, got much more of a body of work."

Everyone involved says this is just another game that each team needs to win, but there will be emotions on both sides. The Knicks probably will be fired up to prove they're better off.

Not matching Lin's pact, which included a $14.9 million poison pill in Year 3, looks smart now. The Knicks are 8-2 with Felton running the point and Lin is struggling mightily.

He's averaging 10 points, 6.3 assists and 2.83 turnovers, and was 2-for-9, with four points, three assists and five turnovers Wednesday that led to backup Toney Douglas playing crunch-time minutes.

"I've been exposed a lot early in this season and I have a lot to work on," Lin said Thursday. "I'm young. I've probably started 30-something games in my entire career. That's what I have to keep in mind."

The Knicks were willing to let Lin grow with them after he averaged 18.2 points and 7.7 assists in 25 starts last season.

They planned to sign Houston's original guaranteed three-year, $19.5 million offer sheet. But when the contract changed, the Knicks made the sign-and-trade for Felton, and some players voiced some incendiary opinions.

J.R. Smith said Lin's contract could cause problems in the locker room because more established players were making less. Carmelo Anthony called the contract "ridiculous," at the time.

"It was taken out of context," Anthony said. "When I said ridiculous it was the way that they set the contract up, set the money up, and put us in the messed-up situation to try to match it. They did their job in free agency, we did our job."

None of that bothered Lin.

"I'm fine with anything anybody says," he said.

Smith gave a curious answer when he was asked about Friday.

"It's just another game," Smith said. "Personal goals, personal issues, whatever we got against Jeremy or whoever else has it against him got to let that go and make sure we get a W first."

Smith then said there was no resentment from him and he didn't know of any Knicks with personal issues with Lin.

Refs: The NBA said Thursday that officials Ed Malloy, John Goble and Violet Palmer missed a foul by Charlotte's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist against Toronto's Andrea Bargnani on a jump shot in the final seconds of the Bobcats' 98-97 victory Wednesday night. The NBA said Bargnani should have been given two free throws and the clock stopped with approximately 2.4 seconds remaining. Replays showed Kidd-Gilchrist's right hand made contact with Bargnani's left wrist.